Advanced undergraduate students (with junior or senior standing) at St. Mary's College of Maryland can apply to be Peer Mentors for the First Year Seminars held each fall. The Peer mentors help lead discussion, facilitate "5th Hour" events for each section of the class, and provide an advanced student perspective within the Seminars. Peer mentors attend every session of the First Year Seminar section to which they are assigned, with the exception of when there is a peer mentor group meeting. Peer mentors will meet as a group several times during the semester with the Dean of the Core Curriculum and First Year Experience. Peer mentors receive academic credit for the experience, as they concurrently take CORE401, the Peer Mentoring Practicum.

The Dean of the Core Curriculum and First Year Experience will send out a call for applications by February each year. Students may apply by submitting a letter that details their interest, their class standing (students must be a junior or senior in the Fall during which they plan to be a peer mentor), their overall GPA, and why they think they would be a good peer mentor. Students should also send a resume, the name of one faculty member who could serve as a reference, and the section or sections of the First Year Seminar for which they would want to be considered.

Contact Dr. Libby Nutt Williams (Dean of the Core Curriculum and First Year Experience) at enwilliams@smcm.edu if you have questions.

The 2009 Peer Mentors created several videos for new students.  Please check out some of these creative (and helpful videos):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5oiBBUsquI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVb8Hvvs3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ7dKJZTVdc